Section 4.3 Cree - APSCH AKICHIKEWIN IKWA ETA KASOOSKAWTUYKEETAW METAWEEWNIHK
Written by: Veselin Jungic and Mark MacLean
Illustrated by: Simon Roy
Cree translation by: Barry Cardinal, Bigstone Cree Nation
Apsch Akichikewin esa mana kenatohkunkeet uma. Misihk esa umah oteenow eta kaweekitaw, Umamawah ikwa Umsah, Koyask Akitasowin esa weetohkeemat. Kimewkeesikihk esa mana key-atohskatuhk otukichikewin. Umsah esa mana ikoychimat kanisookumakoot uma kiymihoot. Maka esa uma anoch kimewkeesikihk nichimoykoot esa peyuk uma akichikewin, weeschaasa esa koychimaat kaneesookumakoot. Weeschaasa esa umah iksinahumakseet misih-skinahumatookumkohk.
Small Number is a young boy who gets into a lot of mischief. He lives in a big city with his mother and his older sister Perfect Number. Every Sunday afternoon, Small Number does his math homework. When he has trouble with math, he usually asks his sister for help. But this Sunday he has a geometry problem that looks very difficult and he decides to ask his cousin, Full Angle, who studies mathematics at the university.
Kapihtohkeet esa weeschaasa asasskustaat esa ususskautuykun ikohtowchi toow akuskitinaat umamasah. Apsch Akichikewin esa iktapahtumaught usooskautuykunew ekohk takuhkih skohpeekuykateek.
When Full Angle walks through the door, he leans his skateboard against the wall, and walks over to give his aunt a hug. Small Number eyes the brightly painted skateboard.
Weeschaasa esa kunowapahtumeet ohtatuskewin ekwa papeet, “peetuss nitsikunoowapateenan ohi akichikewna itikoot esa, moychi tapusinuykewin taskootch, kiya toota.”
Full Angle looks at Small Number’s homework problem and smiles. “I love geometry problems!” Small Number frowns: “What good is geometry for?”
“Nisakitan ohi akichikewina.” Apsch Akichikewin esa iksookunoowapimat. “Keekoya maka tapatauk uma akichikewin?” Weeschaasa esa a-husoowapeet kawapatumeet esa akohps agooteek ikoota, ookohmowawa esa kehoseetuyeet. Kiytohuk esa ikwa ihtaat Apsch Akichikewina, "Kiwaapahteen chi uma kysapihkatuhk kohkoomnow, iwapatuhk tansi kysapihkatuhk ikwa tansi kyskusskotuhk umantohneechikunihk uma. Kinihta-akichikew esa kohkoomnow. “Ikootwa omatoowa nimeweeteen akichikewna,” kitoyt esa Apsch Akichikewin.
Full Angle looks around the room and spies a rug that their grandmother had made hanging on the wall. He points at it and says to Small Number: “Look at all the shapes in Grandma’s rug. She was able to see those geometric shapes and patterns in her head and then figure out how to weave them so beautifully into the rug. She must have been an excellent geometer!” “Well, maybe I like that kind of geometry,” says Small Number.
Weeschaasa esa moya wihtumakoot tansi kuystootuk maka esa kamatchi koychimkoot tansi wehitootuck. Oskutch esa moya ikskeetum tansi uma kuysatooskatuhk. Maka esa moystas kamachi wapahtuhk tansi kaki-wihtumakoot tansisih kuysatohskatuhk.
Full Angle doesn’t give Small Number the answer to the problem, but starts asking him questions instead. At the beginning, Small Number is not sure where it is all going, but after a while, he sees that Full Angle’s questions helped him to fully understand the problem.
Kakeesih atoskatuhk esa ohpeet ekwa sakooweet. “Wah waa, nihkeeseetan.”
When Small Number writes down the final answer, he jumps up and shouts: “Wow! I did it!”
Weeschaasa esa meywetumeet ekohk takakih atoskewin tootahk. Umsah esa kapeepihtohkeet, “Keyapich chee sasooskawtuykeen?” itat esa. “Ehe, mitohnih anima koynihta sooskawtuykeyan machiki naki kootuskusoowan metawewnihk.” “Moycheekwa kewehntow seesowyan Apsch Akichikewin kateeposit.” “Kiwewechewnawow chee?” Etat esa.
As Full Angle is congratulating Small Number on his success, Perfect Number comes in to greet her cousin: “Are you still skateboarding, Full Angle?” “Yes. I want to be good enough to compete at the All Nations Skate Jam! I was just heading out to practice when Small Number called me. Would you and Small Number like to come to the skateboard park near the Friendship Centre?” “Sure!” both Perfect Number and Small Number shout together.
Kamachi pihmotetaw esa ka machi wihtumoowat esa ekohk natohksih isooskawtykewina ikuskitaat. “Nikuskitan mihtohnih kuyusk ohi wasukapuyhoona, chookootchan kaksinahumaatinowow, peyukaw pita nawassukiasstun nisooskautykun nikootowchi neesow.” Tikootaw esa.
As they head to the skateboard park, Full Angle starts talking about the tricks he can do on his skateboard. “I can do a 360 and a 720,” he says. Small Number looks quizzical: “What’s a 360 and a 720?” By now, they have reached the skateboard park: “Let me show you.”
Weeschaasa esa itohumeet eta nesoyuk ohpuna, neso esa assusteakow napakitukoh, peyuk esa nupakauk, ekwa kohtuhk wawiyauk moychi wusskoychoos. “chukootchun kaksinahumatinowow nesow nawasakiyastan uma nisooskautuykun.” Kamatchisooskautuykeet esa takiywak esa kamatchsookiyapoyut ka-otihtuhk esa uhpewnihk
Full Angle points to two ramps that are the same height, but different shapes. One is flat, and the other is curved like the inside of a cylinder. “I’ll show you a 720.” He hops on his skateboard and heads for one of the ramps, building up a lot of speed. As the front of his board comes off the ramp, he grabs it and spins around fully two times before letting go and landing perfectly!
ka-uhpeet ikwatowchih ohtihtinuhk usooskautuykun ekwa nesow wassukuyasstaat ekwa kowih ekwatah cheechohpeet sooskautuykunihk. Apsch Akichikewin ekwa umsah esa ekohk mewehtuhkaw ekwa mamusskatuhkaw. “Nohteekuskitan neesta ikseesih keesweepinkeyan.” Itoyt esa Apsch Akichikewin." “Keespin keesta kinteekuskitan umseesih kuysooweepinkeen pita poohkoh kakuskituyin uma kimuhk akichikewin.” Itihkoot esa weeschaasa.
Small Number and Perfect Number are amazed and start jumping up and down. “I want to learn to do that!” says Small Number. “Well, Small Number, then you better be ready to learn some geometry! You will have to learn to do a 360 first.” Full Angle says, smiling at his cousin.
Tansi? Isihskeetumewah weeschaasa tanimah ikonma ohpewin ka-utinuhk mamuysk neesaw kawaasukiyasstaat osooskautuykun ekwa towchi kowih ka-puhksihk peyukuhntah.
Question: How did Full Angle know which ramp to choose in order to have enough time in the air to spin around twice before landing?
